^12:36While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light.”⁷⁶ When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them.

The Outcome of Jesus’ Public Ministry Foretold

^12:37Although Jesus⁷⁷ had performed⁷⁸ so many miraculous signs before them, they still refused to believe in him, ^12:38so that the word⁷⁹ of Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled. He said,⁸⁰ “Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord⁸¹ been revealed?”⁸²^12:39For this reason they could not believe,⁸³ because again Isaiah said,

^12:40“He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their heart,⁸⁴

so that they would not see with their eyes

and understand with their heart,⁸⁵

and turn to me,⁸⁶ and I would heal them.”⁸⁷

^12:41Isaiah said these things because he saw Christ’s⁸⁸ glory, and spoke about him.

^12:42Nevertheless, even among the rulers⁸⁹ many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees⁹⁰ they would not confess Jesus to be the Christ,⁹¹ so that they would not be put out of⁹² the synagogue.⁹³^12:43For they loved praise⁹⁴ from men more than praise⁹⁵ from God.

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Footnotes

76 The idiom “sons of light” means essentially “people characterized by light,” that is, “people of God.” The expression sons of light refers to men and women to whom the truth of God has been revealed and who are therefore living according to that truth, thus, “people of God.”
77 Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
78 Or “done.”
79 Or “message.”
80 Grk “who said.”
81 “The arm of the Lord” is an idiom for “God’s great power” (as exemplified through Jesus’ miraculous signs). This response of unbelief is interpreted by the author as a fulfillment of the prophetic words of Isaiah (Isa 53:1). The phrase ὁ βραχίων κυρίου (ho brachiōn kuriou) is a figurative reference to God’s activity and power which has been revealed in the sign-miracles which Jesus has performed (compare the previous verse).
82 A quotation from Isa 53:1.
83 The author explicitly states here that Jesus’ Jewish opponents could not believe, and quotes Isa 6:10 to show that God had in fact blinded their eyes and hardened their heart. This OT passage was used elsewhere in the NT to explain Jewish unbelief: Paul’s final words in Acts (28:26–27) are a quotation of this same passage, which he uses to explain why the Jewish people have not accepted the gospel he has preached. A similar passage (Isa 29:10) is quoted in a similar context in Rom 11:8.
84 Or “closed their mind.”
85 Or “their mind.”
86 One could also translate στραφῶσιν (straphōsin) as “repent” or “change their ways,” but both of these terms would be subject to misinterpretation by the modern English reader. The idea is one of turning back to God, however. The words “to me” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
87 A quotation from Isa 6:10.
88 Grk “his”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The referent supplied here is “Christ” rather than “Jesus” because it involves what Isaiah saw. It is clear that the author presents Isaiah as having seen the preincarnate glory of Christ, which was the very revelation of the Father (see John 1:18; John 14:9). Because he saw Christ’s glory. The glory which Isaiah saw in Isa 6:3 was the glory of Yahweh (typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT). Here John speaks of the prophet seeing the glory of Christ since in the next clause and spoke about him, “him” can hardly refer to Yahweh, but must refer to Christ. On the basis of statements like 1:14 in the prologue, the author probably put no great distinction between the two. Since the author presents Jesus as fully God (cf. John 1:1), it presents no problem to him to take words originally spoken by Isaiah of Yahweh himself and apply them to Jesus.
89 The term rulers here denotes members of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word (“ruler”) is used to describe Nicodemus in 3:1.
90 See the note on Pharisees in .
91 The words “Jesus to be the Christ” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (see 9:22). As is often the case in Greek, the direct object is omitted for the verb ὡμολόγουν (hōmologoun). Some translators supply an ambiguous “it,” or derive the implied direct object from the previous clause “believed in him” so that the rulers would not confess “their faith” or “their belief.” However, when one compares John 9:22, which has many verbal parallels to this verse, it seems clear that the content of the confession would have been “Jesus is the Christ (i.e., Messiah).” See the note on Christ in .
92 Or “be expelled from.”
93 Compare John 9:22. See the note on synagogue in .
94 Grk “the glory.”
95 Grk “the glory.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

“He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their heart,

lest they see with their eyes,

and understand with their heart, and turn,

and I would heal them.”

Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

“Lord, who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

“He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their hearts,

so they can neither see with their eyes,

nor understand with their hearts,

nor turn—and I would heal them.”

Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

While you have the light, believe in the light so that you may become children of light.” Jesus said this, then went away and hid from them.

Even though he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet, who said:

Lord, who has believed our message?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

This is why they were unable to believe, because Isaiah also said:

He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their hearts,

so that they would not see with their eyes

or understand with their hearts,

and turn,

and I would heal them.

Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke about him.

Nevertheless, many did believe in him even among the rulers, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, so that they would not be banned from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than praise from God.

NLTNew Living Translation

Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”

After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.

But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted:

“Lord, who has believed our message?

To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?”

But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,

“The Lord has blinded their eyes

and hardened their hearts—

so that their eyes cannot see,

and their hearts cannot understand,

and they cannot turn to me

and have me heal them.”

Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory. Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

While you have the light, believe in the light, in order that you may become sons of light.” Jesus said these things, and then he went away and was hidden from them.

But as many signs as he had performed before them, they did not believe in him, in order that the word of the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled, who said,

“Lord, who has believed our message?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

For this reason they were not able to believe, because again Isaiah said,

“He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their hearts,

lest they see with their eyes

and understand with their hearts

and turn, and I heal them.”

Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him.

Yet despite that, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be expelled from the synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more than praise from God.

KJV 1900King James Version

While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

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